Europolis: The Global Europe Podcast by ECDPM

• Is Ubuntu the secret to unlocking African tech sovereignty?

  In this episode of Europolis, digital rights advocate and social entrepreneur Gbenga Sesan joins ECDPM's Sabine Muscat to explore the intersection of digital sovereignty, innovation, and human dignity. He argues that for Africa to truly thrive, it must transition from relying on aid to attracting investment, and that innovation cannot happen without respecting the rights of citizens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The case for global solidarity

  ECDPM director San Bilal speaks to Simon O'Connell, CEO of SNV, the Dutch development agency, as the organisation celebrates its 60th anniversary. The discussion explores how development actors can navigate a "race to the bottom" in aid financing and how reframing the narrative around solidarity isn't just old-fashioned idealism but a pragmatic necessity for a stable world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The AU-EU summit: Why the EU and Africa need each other in a fragmented world

  In this episode of Europolis: the Global Europe podcast, Sophie Desmidt interviews Gustavo de Carvalho, senior researcher at SAIIA, on whether Europe and Africa can move beyond old donor-recipient dynamics to become the "adults in the room": stabilising forces that champion multilateralism as others step back.The conversation dives into how the partnership is shifting from aid to investment, the test for the EU’s Global Gateway, and why a true partnership means discussing global security, not just African conflicts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• AI in Africa: How are Africans using AI to accelerate development?

  Chloe Teevan talks to Melody Musoni to explore how African innovators, researchers, and policymakers are shaping an AI ecosystem that responds to local realities. It highlights a shift from being consumers of technology to producers of homegrown solutions that are already transforming sectors like agriculture, health, and education.The discussion tackles the two sides of the AI debate in Africa: the pessimists, who worry about risks like data bias and the push from Big Tech for profit , and the optimists, who see a chance to tackle long-standing challenges. A central theme is that African countries are determined not to be left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution as they were in the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The EU needs African resources: Can it circumvent China?

  The EU's green and digital ambitions depend on a stable supply of critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt and graphite. With growing concerns over value chain security and dependence on single countries like China, the EU has launched the Critical Raw Materials Act to build more resilient supply chains. But how can Europe build new partnerships, particularly in Africa, to achieve this?In this episode of Europolis, Chloe Teevan is joined by ECDPM's Poorva Karkare, senior policy analyst and expert on industrialisation and regional integration in Africa. They discuss the complexities of the EU's strategy, the role of partner countries in Africa, the much-discussed Lobito Corridor project, and the unavoidable influence of China. Poorva argues that true strategic autonomy for the EU may require innovative partnerships that leverage, rather than exclude, Chinese capabilities in African countries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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